Tag Archives: camera

Review: Canon 40D

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Recently, I upgraded my camera to a Canon 40D. I had struggled with an upgrade path to choose. It would have been pretty cheap for me to upgrade to a Canon Rebel XTi from my Rebel XT. The accessories are the same and the body itself is pretty cheap, but I really wanted some of the pro features offered on the 30D. On the other hand, the XTi has some features that the 30D lacks, like self cleaning sensor, dust spot removal, and higher resolution.

Fortunately, I waited and waited and finally, was rewarded with a clear winner in the 40D. It has all the bells and whistles of the XTi, and the pro features of the 30D. In fact, it has a better AF system and it also has higher frame rate on bursts (6.5 FPS). With the upgraded AF and frame rate, it is a viable sports camera.

It also has all the ISO options of the 30D, from 50-3200, with 1/3 stop increments.

As an early adopter, I had to wait for some RAW processing to come available. Fortunately, LightRoom 1.2 just came out with support for the 40D and Bibble Pro also has support for it. I’m still waiting for a decent L quick release plate. The RRS version has been released, but is not very well designed. I’m holding out for the Kirk version which I think will be more likely to be usable.

I did purchase a Chinese knock-off battery grip for the 20D/30D and it works fine with the 40D. There is a new grip specifically for the 40D but it is the same form factor as the old grip and only has a little bit of weather stripping added. It doesn’t have a duplicate of the AF-ON button, so there is really no reason for me to purchase this version (which only just became available at B&H yesterday anyway.) Also the Canon grip is plastic, so I felt there was no advantage to going with that as opposed to the Chinese version.

As for upgrading from an XT, the 40D is a nice step up, but it is heavier as a result of it’s alloy body. I’m getting used to the weight though. I am loving the camera so far and don’t regret the purchase at all.

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Where to Buy Camera Gear

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I have been thoroughly disappointed with the local camera stores in the Charlotte area. The largest chain store, Wolf/Ritz has a horrible selection and even worse prices, sometimes about 30% higher than they should be. And the best ‘mom and pop’ store, Charlotte Camera, has moved to the most distant reaches of Ballantyne. (I used to believe that I could get to about any part of Charlotte in no more than 35 minutes. Not anymore!)

So, most of my purchases have been online. The predominant vendor I’ve used is B&H Photo Video. They are, by sales volume, the largest camera equipment store in the world. They have a very large selection. They have very large warehouses so they have more in stock. Their web site is the best of any photography store.

That said, there are times I have had to use another vendor. I needed a set of barn doors for my lights and to this day, it is still not in stock at B&H. I finally broke down and ordered them from Adorama. One thing to watch out for with Adorama is that you can order directory through their web site, or sometimes you can order through Amazon from Adorama — and the prices may be different depending on which you do! So it pays to always check both to see which has the lower price.

Another caveat of online buying is to avoid being lured by the ‘too good to be true’ price. You’ve probably seen these prices. You might be surfing the web and some google adwords ad shows an incredible price on a camera. For example, I’ve seen 50% off the going rate on a Canon Rebel Xti.. There are dozens and dozens of places that are bait and switch scammers. Before doing business with any online retailer, check their ratings and feedback on Reseller Ratings.

 

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